1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to human mobility aids, and more particularly to an aid to be used by a person in moving from a fully reclined position in bed to a standing position adjacent the bed and back.
2. Description of the Art and Problem
Even a brief review of the art reveals numerous references which provide systems for helping patients get into and out of bed without caregiver assistance. Many of the references teach bed rail and handle systems, adapted by positioning and shaping, to give support to a person moving from a sitting position on a bed to a standing position adjacent the bed, or from a standing position back to a sitting position. Indeed, for many infirm individuals, moving from a sitting to a standing position is the greatest challenge and such devices are very useful for maintaining balance as they stand. However, the problems involved in getting into and out bed frequently involve more than moving from standing to sitting or from sitting to standing. Some references implicitly recognize that helping the patient stand up from, or sit down on, a bed or chair is just one part of the problem, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,793 to Wilson.
Some conditions, such as Parkinson""s disease, can contribute to a progressive degeneration of the abdominal muscles, which makes sitting up without assistance difficult or impossible. Temporary conditions, such as recovery from abdominal surgery can also leave the abdomen weak. Relatively few references deal with bed ingress and egress assistance devices which provide assistance to individuals in sitting up in bed. One reference that does teach such a device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,265 to Wicks. Wicks teaches a tether hooked to an anchoring member, which is provided by a U-shaped hook sized to be fitted around the foot of a bed mattress. Using the tether a person can help themselves sit up from a recumbent position by pulling themselves up on the tether. While the device is exceedingly simple and unobtrusive, it is unclear how the tether remains positioned for easy grasping by the bed occupant over the course of a night. Nor does the system do anything for individuals who have lost substantial upper body strength. A trapeze system is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,727 to Wilkinson, which provides assistance to patients in sitting up from bed. Another such system is that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,207 to Marcyan. In trapeze systems a bar or handle is suspended over the bed for grasping by the bed occupant.
A common theme among several references is ease of installation and portability, which is carried out in part by tubular construction of rail systems and extensions of the tubing to fit under and to be anchored by the bed""s mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,689 to Shaw is a good example of a device incorporating these features.
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus aiding the infirm in getting into and out of bed by helping the person move from a standing position adjacent the bed to a recumbent position on the bed and back.
Another object of the invention is to provide a patient mobility aid for use with beds which does not limit access to the bed.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an aid for use with beds which is readily removed or placed in the bed.
According to the invention there is provided a patient self-assist transfer aid for use with a bed. The self-assist transfer aid comprises an open box frame having a base for fitting beneath a mattress of a bed, a riser section extending upwardly from the base around an outside edge of the mattress and a positioning section for extending out over the mattress from the riser section. The open box frame may be positioned around the mattress end at the foot of the bed to leave the major sides of the bed open for ease of access. A linkage is fitted to the positioning section of the open box frame and may be extended therefrom to position a handle within easy grasp of a person lying in the bed or laying down on the bed. A spring system biases the linkage to a retracted position in the open box frame. A handle is pivotally attached to the linkage and for grasping by a patient lying in the bed or lowering him or herself into bed.
Additional effects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows.